diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.test.tsx
index 7da7c4af3d3..8d4512925b8 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.test.tsx
@@ -144,6 +144,65 @@ describe('ModelMenuPanel current selection', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('ModelMenuPanel search', () => {
+  // The pinned current model must NOT ride along on a query it doesn't match:
+  // it reads like the top result, so Enter/click picks the wrong model (the
+  // "type grok, get fable" bug). Every surveyed picker (VS Code, Zed, Open
+  // WebUI, Cherry Studio) drops the pin while filtering.
+  // Highlighted labels are split across <mark> nodes, so single-text-node
+  // queries miss them — match on the row span's composed textContent.
+  const rowWithText = (content: ReturnType<typeof renderPanel>['content'], pattern: RegExp) =>
+    content.queryByText((_, element) => element?.tagName === 'SPAN' && pattern.test(element.textContent ?? ''))
+
+  it('hides the non-matching current model while a query is active', async () => {
+    $currentProvider.set('deepseek')
+    $currentModel.set('deepseek-v4-pro')
+    const { content } = renderPanel()
+
+    await content.findByText(/Deepseek V4 Pro/i)
+
+    const input = screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Search models' })
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'gemini' } })
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(rowWithText(content, /Gemini 3\.1 Pro/i)).not.toBeNull()
+    })
+    expect(rowWithText(content, /Deepseek V4 Pro/i)).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('Enter in the search field commits the first match', async () => {
+    const { content, onSelectModel } = renderPanel()
+
+    await content.findByText('DeepSeek')
+
+    const input = screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Search models' })
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'gemini' } })
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(rowWithText(content, /Gemini 3\.1 Pro/i)).not.toBeNull()
+    })
+
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: 'Enter' })
+
+    // First matching family of the first (alphabetical) matching provider.
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(onSelectModel).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ model: 'gemini-3.1-pro', provider: 'google', sessionId: 'runtime-1' })
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('Enter with no matches is a no-op (menu stays put, nothing selected)', async () => {
+    const { content, onSelectModel } = renderPanel()
+
+    await content.findByText('DeepSeek')
+
+    const input = screen.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Search models' })
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'zzz-no-such-model' } })
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: 'Enter' })
+
+    expect(onSelectModel).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
+
 describe('ModelMenuPanel provider collapse', () => {
   it('shows all provider models by default (none collapsed)', async () => {
     const { content } = renderPanel()
@@ -205,9 +264,15 @@ describe('ModelMenuPanel provider collapse', () => {
     expect(input).not.toBeNull()
     fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'deepseek' } })
 
-    // Should show models — search bypasses collapse
+    // Should show models — search bypasses collapse. The matched letters render
+    // inside a <mark>, splitting the label across nodes, so match on the row
+    // span's composed textContent instead of a single text node.
     await vi.waitFor(() => {
-      expect(content.queryByText('Deepseek V4 Pro')).not.toBeNull()
+      expect(
+        content.queryByText(
+          (_, element) => element?.tagName === 'SPAN' && (element.textContent ?? '').startsWith('Deepseek V4 Pro')
+        )
+      ).not.toBeNull()
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.tsx
index 8ca63f5afd6..5ec34d61be4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/model-menu-panel.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   DropdownMenuSub,
   DropdownMenuSubTrigger
 } from '@/components/ui/dropdown-menu'
+import { HighlightMatches } from '@/components/ui/highlight-matches'
 import { Skeleton } from '@/components/ui/skeleton'
 import type { HermesGateway } from '@/hermes'
 import { useI18n } from '@/i18n'
@@ -212,9 +213,38 @@ export function ModelMenuPanel({ gateway, onSelectModel, profile = 'default', re
     [pickerProviders, search, optionsModel, optionsProvider, effectiveVisibleModels]
   )
 
+  // Enter in the search field commits the FIRST match — the VS Code pattern
+  // ("so Enter works without pressing DownArrow first"): ⌘⇧M → "grok" → Enter
+  // is the whole switch. Radix highlights nothing until an arrow key, so
+  // without this Enter would dead-end. Arrow-selected rows keep their own
+  // Enter (focus has left the input by then).
+  const commitFirstMatch = () => {
+    const group = groups[0]
+    const family = group?.families[0]
+
+    if (!family) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    void selectFamily(family, group.provider)
+    closeMenu()
+  }
+
   return (
     <>
-      <DropdownMenuSearch aria-label={copy.search} onValueChange={setSearch} placeholder={copy.search} value={search} />
+      <DropdownMenuSearch
+        aria-label={copy.search}
+        onKeyDown={event => {
+          if (event.key === 'Enter' && normalize(search)) {
+            event.preventDefault()
+            event.stopPropagation()
+            commitFirstMatch()
+          }
+        }}
+        onValueChange={setSearch}
+        placeholder={copy.search}
+        value={search}
+      />
 
       <DropdownMenuSeparator className="mx-0" />
 
@@ -258,7 +288,9 @@ export function ModelMenuPanel({ gateway, onSelectModel, profile = 'default', re
                   }}
                   textValue=""
                 >
-                  <span className="truncate">{group.provider.name}</span>
+                  <span className="truncate">
+                    <HighlightMatches query={search} text={group.provider.name} />
+                  </span>
                   <DisclosureCaret
                     className="shrink-0 text-(--ui-text-tertiary) opacity-0 transition group-hover/label:opacity-100"
                     open={!collapsed}
@@ -332,7 +364,7 @@ export function ModelMenuPanel({ gateway, onSelectModel, profile = 'default', re
                           }}
                         >
                           <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate">
-                            {name}
+                            <HighlightMatches query={search} text={name} />
                             {meta ? <span className="text-(--ui-text-tertiary)"> {meta}</span> : null}
                           </span>
                           {isCurrent ? (
@@ -452,9 +484,11 @@ function groupModels(
 
     // Always include the active model — but keep every row in the provider's
     // stable curated order (filter `allFamilies`, never reorder), so selecting
-    // a model can't shuffle the list.
+    // a model can't shuffle the list. While SEARCHING, the pin is skipped: a
+    // query means "show me matches", and a pinned non-match sitting above them
+    // reads like the top result (type "grok", see the current Fable first).
     const activeId =
-      provider.slug === current.provider && current.model
+      !q && provider.slug === current.provider && current.model
         ? allFamilies.find(family => family.id === current.model || family.fastId === current.model)?.id
         : undefined